'Confident' Jamie Gittens targets trophies under Xabi Alonso at Chelsea

The 21-year-old winger joined Chelsea from Borussia Dortmund in July 2025, but his first campaign was disrupted by a hamstring injury. He made 27 appearances in all competitions, including 12 starts, before his season ended in January.

After spending the summer focusing on his recovery and fitness, Gittens said he has returned stronger and more confident ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

"It was a real challenge at the start because it was the first muscle injury I have had," Gittens said.

"It was hard for me, but hopefully I can look back and tell myself that I've done well in this situation. I'm feeling much better now. I'm feeling more confident. My hamstring is good."

The England Under-21 international is determined to make up for lost time and believes regular football will help him show his true ability.

"I have to keep going now, keep pushing myself, get more minutes in the legs, train myself to the maximum so hopefully I can have a good season," he said.

"I just want to show everyone what I can do. I've just shown glimpses so far, I would say, so my objective is to keep getting better, keep working on myself, then this season will be a good one."

Gittens has also praised new Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso, saying the former Spain international has already made a positive impression on the squad.

"He was a top player, and he's obviously a top coach," Gittens said. "For him to come in and teach us, it's the best thing for us to improve as a team."

"He's a very nice guy. He talks to us individually, speaks to us about what we can improve on, what we can do better."

The winger revealed Alonso has encouraged him to play with confidence and attack defenders whenever possible.

"He's told me to just keep being positive, to keep taking on players, keep on creating chances, and to keep on pushing myself to the maximum," Gittens said.

Chelsea are aiming to challenge for major honours this season, and Gittens believes the squad has the quality to compete for every trophy.

"The mood in the camp is very positive," he said.

"Everyone's looking forward to the new season, to be better, and to succeed. We want to win everything. That's our ambition: to win the Premier League, to win every cup."

"Our quality is there for sure. As a team, we've got great individuals on the pitch who can do amazing things, but we've got to try to put it all together."

"Right now everyone's just got to keep working hard and keep showing the gaffer what we are made of."

Chelsea continue their pre-season preparations against Tottenham Hotspur in Sydney, Australia, on 1 August as Alonso's side builds towards the start of the new campaign.

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